Poisonous partisanship

The stimulus bill and religious freedom

Mar 10, 2009

Despite an economic emergency and a popular president, notions of bi partisan cooperation on Capitol Hill collapsed after about a week. The advantages of political partisanship remain extremely compelling.

The early days of the Obama administration brought reminders that religious partisans also remain deeply entrenched and fervently committed to continuing the culture war by whatever means necessary.

Consider the recent work of the Traditional Values Coalition and the American Center for Law and Justice. Their signature contribution to the debate on the stimulus package was to proclaim that Obama’s bill would “stimulate anti-Christian bigotry” by “restricting the free exercise of religion.”